Low-pressure tire-signal.



J. M. COLLINS. LOW PRESSURE TIRE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JAILaI. 1911.

wnNEsses AITORNEY UNiTED'sTArEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. COLLINS, OF GORMAN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO S. E.SNODGRASS, QF GORMAN, TEXAS.

l. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn M. COLLINS, citizen of the United States,residing at Gorman, in the county of Eastland and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Low-PressureTire-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to signals and particularly to an audible signalfor pneu matic vehicle tires.

1t is a well known fact that accidents in vehicles havingIr pneumatictires are often due to a lw pressure of air in one of the tires, the lowpressure causing the tire to becomemflat without the knowledge of thedriver. Also in many cases aV tire be.- comes flat and the flanges ofthe rim out into the tire before the driver is aware of the condition.

It is the object of this invention to provide a device which may. beattached to the shell of an ordinary tire nvalve in place. of the usualcap and which device has provision for depressing the deatingstem of theValve when the pressure in the `tire falls below a certain degreethereby permitting the air from the tire Yto escape into the device andsound an audible signal which will notify the driver of the condition ehe tire.

A still further object of the imention is to provide means of thecharacter described that will be strong, durable, eilicient, and easy ofoperation, simple and eon'iparatively inexpensive to construct, and alsoin which the several parts will not be likely to get. out of workingorder.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation tocertain novel features of construction and operation, an

end and 3, the delating-stcm. These parts Specification of LettersPatent.

Application tiled January 31, 1911.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

Serial No. 605,692.

are of the usual construction and are shown merely for the purpose ofclearly illustratine and describlng the invention.

lhe invention comprises a cylindrical body 4 closed at each end andprovided with an elongated interior chamber 5. At its lower end the bodyhas a. central screw threaded opening G adapted to receive the reducedend 2 of the valve shell. upper end of the head a central screw threadedopening-7 is provided and this opening receives a screw threadedadjusting plug 8. A vertical actuatin rod 9 passes through the plu andthe c amber of the head, being provided at its lower end with a head 10adapted to engage the upper end of the delating-stem 3. On the rod ashort distance above the head l0 avalve 11 is fixed. This valve isadapted to close upward against the seat of a transverse partition l2extending across the chamber 5 and suitably secured to the interiorwalls of the head. The partition completely obstruets the passage of airabove the same when the valve 11 is seated. "l`h'e partition has acentral opening 14 through which the rod 9 passes. This opening issomewhat larger in diameter than the rod but smaller than the valve seatso as to be covered by the valve when the latter is seated. A collar l5is fixed on the rod 9 near its center and supports the lower end of aspring 16 coiled aboui' the rod andfbearing at its upper end against thelower end of the plug 8. The parts are so ositioned that when the valve11 is seated t e rod 9 will extenddownward a suilicient distance todepress the dellatingstem 8 whereby the air under pressure in the tirewill pass from the valve shell 1 into the ehainber 5 below the partition12, but beyond which it cannot pass until the valve ll is unseated.

, l`he )lug 8 is adjusted to place ,the spring itl un "er tension. 4 Thedegree of tension under which 'tie spring is placed is somewhat lessthan the maximum degree of the pressure of the air in the tire.

alve 11 will be held seated against the bension of the sprin i6 untilthe rassure of the air is reduced to, a point W ere it he comes too low-to withstand the tension .nf the spring or in other words reaches 10W`pressure. When the spring'overcmes libe In the pressure of the air itwill extend thereby movin the rod 9 downward, unseating the valve 1 andpermitting the air at its minimum pressure to pass through the opening.14. In the side of the head 4 above the par- V`tition 12 an opening 17is provided. Opponal the same as a whistle. This will notifyl the driverto re-inflate the tire. Of course it is necessary to remove'the headwhen it is desired to inflate the tire and it may be necessary to adjust the plug 8 to prevent the tension of the spring 16 from unseatin thevalve 11 at a maximum air ressure. cylindrical casing 20 is fitted a outthe base of the valve shell 1 and snugly receives at its upper end thelower end of the head .4.

What I claim is:

In a .pressure signal device `for pneumatic vehicle tires, a body havingprovision for engagement with a tire valve and provided with a centralchamber, the body having an air inlet at its lower end and an air esca eopening in its side, a artition fixed in t e c amber of the body et'weenthe openings thereof and provided'with a central opening, a disk xed inthe chamber of the body opposite the escape opening and having aportioncut o, a plug adjustable at the upper end of the head, apentralrod passin through the plug, disk and partition and terminating belowthe latter, a valve mounted on the rod in juxta osition to the openF ingof the partition, an a coiled spring sufpprted on the rod injuxtaposition to t e p ug.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilicatiorin thepresence of two subscribing witnesses;

JOSEPH M. COLLINS.

Witnesses:

J No. H. SwnAn'r, RUTH WALDnoP.

